Division of the Vice President for Research

I am a multidisciplinary Engineer with professional experiences developing scientific software and custom robotic/electronic solutions. My academic research interests are primarily focused on UAS-based atmospheric measurements, particularly in support of aviation weather. Such efforts resulted in a U.S. patent, a textbook chapter, and multiple peer-reviewed journal papers.

Research Interests:

Unmanned systems, instrumentation, calibration and validation, experiment design, atmospheric measurements, phased array radars, embedded systems, systems integration, and problem-basedlearning.

Performance and clinical scientist specializing in musculoskeletal injury risk factors and human performance optimization. Principal investigator and co-investigator on current/previous research projects totaling ~$8M, producing 20+ peer-reviewed publications and 40+ conference abstracts. Research focuses primarily on standardized screening protocols and machine learning techniques for musculoskeletal injury risk prediction in military and athletic populations. Creates practical tools that help practitioners and healthcare providers make better clinical decisions based on biomechanical and physiological data.

My research interest are to create a Human Digital Twin to prescribe individualized energy and fatigue associated interventions. To achieve this, I attempt to: 1) identify changes in subjective and objective measures of energy and fatigue and associated factors (i.e. pain, anxiety, depression, sleep) using a combination of eye-tracking, virtual reality (VR), voice, sensors (EDA/GSR, PPG, IMU, EEG, EMG, fNIRS), and computer vision; 2) identify interventions that modify feelings of energy/fatigue; 3) identify inter- and intra-individual differences in intervention response; 4) understand the unique and overlapping biological correlates of energy and fatigue and the interaction of these biological factors.

Teira Cole was raised in Lawton, Oklahoma. Upon graduating from MacArthur High School, she joined the U.S. Army as a Combat Army Medic. As a non-traditional college student, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education Magna Cum Laude and continued to Grad School where she obtained a Master of Education-Adult and Career Education Summa Cum Laude, from Valdosta State University. After college, Ms. Cole began her career in economic development as a Workforce Development Coordinator and Project Manager. Near the end of 2018, her family moved to Oklahoma where she transitioned into the role of Project Manager at the Lawton Economic Development Corporation where she oversaw the FISTA project. In January 2021, Ms. Cole accepted the offer to continue working with the FISTA Development Trust Authority as the Strategic Operations Manager. Her greatest achievements during her time at the FISTA were completing Phase 1 with a budget of $45 million and recruiting defense contractors to FISTA to fill the initial 105,000 square feet.

Ms. Cole currently serves as the Leadership Oklahoma Class 35 Ambassador and the President of the Association of the United States Army Fires Chapter. She previously served as the FISTA Recording Secretary, Fires Patriot Government Relations Committee member, AUSA FIRES Chapter Secretary, Lawton Business Women Government Affairs Committee Chair and served on the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Emerging Aviation Technology Sub-Committee. In 2021, she was nominated for 12:10 To the Top and in 2023 was recognized as a STEM Champion in the Lawton, Oklahoma community.

Dr. Paul Elliott is a Research Assistant Professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Department at Oklahoma State University. He has also been an Assistant Professor at the State University of New York where he was selected as the Instructor of the Year in 2020, and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of North Florida. He earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UConn where he received a Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fellowship, a MS from University of Dayton in renewable and clean energy engineering, and a BS in mechanical engineering from Harding University. His work with NASA includes the design and construction of a rover experiment platform for the detection of methane over large distances on the Martian surface, and the construction of an experimental package that flew on a sounding rocket to an altitude of 41 miles. His areas of research include low stress ceramic to metal bonding, metal 3D printing and low temperature casting, non-toxic amalgams and metal matrix composites, and vehicle and motor design for high powered rocketry.

Prior to joining OSU, I earned my B.S. & M.S. in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Columbus State University. As a student, I worked in physical therapy departments at St. Francis-Emory Healthcare and Fort Benning, followed by serving as a graduate assistant. After graduation, I briefly served as an adjunct instructor for Columbus State University before spending two years as a visiting instructor with the University of Southern Mississippi's School of Kinesiology and Nutrition.

I now serve as a coordinator for the Human Performance & Nutrition Research Institute (HPNRI), where I lead our translational research activity and help build institute partnerships. These collaborations span the OSU network and extend to clinicians, researchers, and athletic programs nationwide.

I also coordinate our outreach initiatives, such as MarCom efforts and analyzing institute impact. If you are seeking more info about HPNRI or are interested in collaborative opportunities, feel free to reach out!

Professional Interests:

• Student Development
• Sports Performance & Nutrition
• Environmental Physiology (Heat Emphasis)
• Occupational Health

▪ With over 15 years of research experience, I am an accomplished clinician-scientist, with proficiency at clinical development planning, program management, and cross- collaborative projects resulting in significant outcomes. 
▪ I am passionate about advancing research and seeking novel outcomes in science, making meaningful contributions leveraging my subject matter expertise on neuromotor sciences, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases, and pharmacology. 
▪ I have demonstrated my involvement in the scientific community acting as invited speaker, notably at prestigious events like the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the International Conference on Frailty and Sarcopenia Research. 
▪ I have led/managed 17 cross-collaborative projects, resulting in 4 grants, >40 peer-reviewed publications, and 11 IRB-approved studies. My studies range across my subject matter expertise in neuromotor sciences, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal conditions, and pharmacology. I have delivered >50 presentations at esteemed conferences such as American Academy of Cerebral palsy and Developmental Medicine, American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, etc. I have led interdisciplinary research across R1 universities, collaborating globally (USA, Sweden, India, Egypt) to develop research products including novel wearable technologies and exercise programs enhancing human performance. With over 20 research projects and 40 published manuscripts, I foster innovation and apply science to real-world healthcare challenges.

▪ As a clinician-scientist I develop wearable devices that enhance movement efficiency by harnessing neuromotor properties. My novel approach optimizes movement economy and reduces injury risk in high-impact activities, advancing performance and biomechanics applications.

• Jamey Jacob is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, Williams Chair in Energy Technology at OSU Tulsa, and Regents Professor of Aerospace Engineering in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. He has approximately $50M in funded research projects as PI and Co-PI from government and industry including AFOSR, AFRL, DOD, DOE, DARPA, FAA, NASA, NSF, SOCOM, USN, Boeing, General Electric, Lockheed-Martin, Northrop-Grumman, and Toyota, among others. He is currently PI on the EDA funded LaunchPad and UAS Flight Corridor programs, OSU lead for the Tulsa Hub for Ethical and Trustworthy Autonomy Tech Hub, the NASA University Leadership Initiative program WINDMAP to develop aviation weather solutions for advanced aerial mobility applications, including drones and urban air taxis, and a NIST effort on the Development of Test Certification Standards for AAM Platforms. He also leads the DoD sponsored Counter-UAS Center of Excellence. He received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1990 and his M.S and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1992 and 1995, respectively. He was a National Research Council Summer Faculty Fellow in the Air Force Research Laboratory and Fulbright Specialist. He received the SAE Ralph Teetor Award, the Lockheed Martin Teaching Award, and the OSU Regents Distinguished Teaching Award, among other teaching and mentoring awards. He is a native Oklahoman and dedicates much of his efforts to education and STEM workforce development. He is a Part 107 UAS pilot with approximately 500 hours operating various platforms.
  
  Research Interests:
  
  Emerging aerospace technology, robotic exploration, uncrewed aircraft, weather, aerodynamics and flow control, ad infinitum.

Melenda Knight serves as Associate Director of the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute (HPNRI) at Oklahoma State University. She leads the institute’s outreach, engagement, education, communications, and strategic partnership initiatives, working to translate research into programs and resources that improve health, performance, and well-being across Oklahoma and beyond.

With expertise in stakeholder engagement, program development, knowledge translation, and collaborative leadership, Knight has helped establish and expand innovative initiatives including Project ECHO learning networks, professional development programs, community partnerships, and statewide outreach efforts. She is passionate about connecting researchers, practitioners, educators, healthcare professionals, and community leaders to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based practices.

Knight's work focuses on building sustainable partnerships, expanding access to education and expertise, and creating opportunities for individuals and organizations to improve health, performance, and quality of life through research-informed solutions. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Community and Stakeholder Engagement
• Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration
• Project ECHO Program Development and Implementation
• Health and Human Performance Outreach
• Knowledge Translation and Dissemination
• Workforce and Professional Development
• Program Planning and Evaluation
• Organizational and Community Capacity Building
• Research Translation and Public Engagement
• Health Promotion and Education Programs
• Public Education Leadership and Programming 

BIO & RESEARCH INTERESTS

I am a bioinformatics research scientist focused on the analysis and interpretation of high-throughput biological data, with an emphasis on genomics, transcriptomics, and multi-omics integration. My work aims to translate complex molecular data into biologically meaningful insights, with applications in health and microbial systems.

I develop and apply reproducible computational pipelines for RNA-seq analysis, variant interpretation, genome assembly, and pathway-level modeling. My approach combines statistical methods with machine learning to identify patterns and support robust, data-driven conclusions.

I collaborate with researchers and clinicians on study design, data analysis, and interpretation, and I contribute to training efforts that bridge computational methods with biological and biomedical research.

Research Interests:

• RNA-seq and differential expression analysis
• Variant analysis and genomics
• Genome assembly, annotation, and quality assessment
• Pathway and systems-level analysis
• Machine learning in biological data analysis
• Multi-omics integration

PORTFOLIO OF RESPONSIBILITIES AS OSU VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH:

As OSU's Chief Research Officer, I am responsible for promoting the research, scholarship, and artistic creativity in support of the entire mission of the institution. This role includes oversight of constituent units that include research services, intramural funding programs, technology transfer, intellectual property management, commercialization efforts, and economic development, as well as research integrity and compliance. It also includes responsibility for several core facilities, including Animal Resources, High Performance Computing, and Microscopy, and several interdisciplinary research institutes: Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE), Hamm Institute for American Energy (HIAE), and Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute.

I report directly to the President of OSU, and work closely with the President and Provost (as well as with other vice presidential units) to ensure that research, scholarship, and artistic activities are facilitated and infused throughout the entire mission of the university.

The various components and functions of the research enterprise at OSU are elaborated in the following sections. As Vice President, I bare ultimate authority and responsibility for all of these components and functions, including the management of the overall strategic, operational, budgetary, policy and personnel activities of the Research Division.

Strategic and Operational Leadership

As VPR, I work directly with the President, Provost, and with the other vice presidents to establish priorities, set strategic goals, and implement the tactical operations related to research at OSU.

Areas of direct leadership and supervision of the research function include:

Intramural Research Funding Programs. The OSU research office administers a variety of regular and periodic internal grant programs to seed and stimulate research accomplishments of faculty and students. Annual programs include the Niblack Research Scholars Program, President's Fellows Distinguished Research Awards, Humanities-, Arts-, and Design-Based Disciplines Grant Program, Research Infrastructure Improvement Program, Core Facilities Program, startup packages for new hires in science and technology disciplines, and required monetary and in-kind matches on external grants. Periodic programs include the Swinging for the Fences Grant Program, and the Mentor-Mentee Grant Program.

Cross-Cutting, Interdisciplinary Research Institutes: To stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration and better link OSU expertise to corporate and community partners. The Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE) conducts applied research, outreach, and testing services for partners in the defense, pubic, and private aerospace sectors, The Hamm Institute for American Energy (HIAE) combines focused research capabilities with policy expertise in the energy sector. Our Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute focuses on research and translation on health constructs (eat better, rest better, and move better) through a performance lens.

Research Integrity and Compliance. I have direct supervisory responsibility of the compliance and research integrity components of the OSU research operation. My office coordinates research compliance in all facets, such as human subjects (IRB), animal use (IACUC and animal facilities), biohazards, radiation safety, export controls, research misconduct, responsible conduct of research, and financial conflict of interest.

Research Policy. For policies directly related to research, I am the policy "owner" and thus responsible for drafting new policies and revising old policies as needed. For policies owned by other OSU offices, I review and provide input on policies as they are created or revised so that the interests of OSU research and researchers are included and protected.

Central Sponsored Programs Administration (CSPA). Our CSPA team facilitates the seeking, obtaining, and effectively expending external funds for central units as well as research campuswide. This includes working directly with faculty to improve grant-writing skills, identify funding opportunities, develop quality proposals to seek funding, and manage the fiscal compliance aspects inherent in seeking funds on behalf of the institution. In addition to assisting faculty, this team also liaises with college-level grants personnel and the central accounting arm of the university.

Limited Submissions. The research office handles OSU's decision-making regarding what proposals may be submitted when the sponsor has institutional limits. When faced with multiple entrants for a limited submission opportunity, the research offices receives pre-proposals to allow the competing projects to be reviewed.

Research Strategic Budgeting. I work with the CFO to structure the budget for the Research Division.

Government Relations. I worked closely with the OSU President, other vice presidents, and OSU's State-based and Washington-based lobbyists to execute both planned and ad hoc research-related agenda items relevant to OSU's state and federal delegations.

Research Publications and Public Relations. OSU publicizes the research accomplishments of faculty and student researchers in a number of ways. The research office has its own monthly e-newsletter, distributes frequent updates regarding funding opportunities and research-related workshops, and produces periodic print- and web-based publications related to OSU research. The communications staff works actively with OSU's central communications office to ensure that university publications and news releases are including the most compelling and current stories of OSU research. I also host a regular outreach event, OSU Research on Tap, to connect OSU researchers directly to members of the local community.

High Performance Computing Center (HPCC). I oversee OSU's High Performance Computing Center, which offers state-of-the-art supercomputing access to the campus community and beyond. The HPCC also has staff bioinformaticists who consult directly with system users to elevate their research.

University Microscopy Facility. I oversee OSU's core facility that provides high-level microscopy services to researchers.

Technology-Based Economic Development. I oversee both the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) and the Cowboy Innovation Accelerator. The OTC team facilitates and manages OSU intellectual property and technology transfer/commercialization efforts. The Cowboy Innovation Accelerator provides support for startup companies based on OSU technologies.

Synergistic Roles within OSU

Research Strategic Planning. I meet monthly with the Associate Deans for Research from all colleges and schools on campus. This group serves as the primary advisory council to my office. As such, these meetings provide the initial context for strategic planning specific to research. Articulation of the university's signature interdisciplinary strengths and cross-cutting themes has been a signature product of this planning group during my first year in the position, thus laying the foundation for campus-wide coordination of action plan in pursuit of growing these critical strengths.

University-Level Planning. Since joining OSU, I have taken an active role in the university's on-going strategic planning processes, including serving on the 2026 OSU Strategic Plan Steering Committee as well as leading its Research and Extension for Public Impact working group. I was a member of a planning team previously known as the "Big Ideas" group, led a Research Subcommittee within that group, and served on the Research and National Rankings Subcommittees. I have regularly served alongside the Provost, CFO, and their senior staff members on the budget review team that considers annual budgetary requests from the deans.

Partnerships with the Provost and the Academic Affairs Office. I actively engage with the Provost on issues related to faculty research, graduate research and education, and undergraduate research involvement. I regularly consult (and partner, when appropriate) with Academic Affairs leadership on matters such as faculty hiring, faculty retention, tenure and promotion, startup packages, undergraduate research, policy matters, and program changes/additions.

Faculty Council Interaction. As a firm believer in shared governance, I meet regularly with the officers of the OSU Faculty Council to ensure that research issues are being communicated effectively in both directions, and to seek their input on matters under consideration. The OSU Faculty Council also has a standing Faculty Research Committee with whom I or members of my staff periodically meet as agenda items warrant.

Institutional Friend-/Fund-Raising

In my current role at OSU, I work closely with our foundation president and with development staff to nurture and secure support from philanthropic donors with a passion for student research apprenticeships (such as the Niblack Research Scholars Program) and specific topical fields of study (such as rural development research). I also partner with academic deans to assist in college-based donor development efforts. As VPR, my fundraising role more often entails working closely with our federal and state elected leaders to secure support for specific areas of research programs. Much like donor development, successful federal fundraising begins by nurturing a relationship through active listening and communicating institutional vision, alignment of the partner's passions with the capabilities and aspirations of the institution, then closing on an ask for resources that will impact the institution in a way that satisfies the passions of the partner. And just as with donor development, successes are sustained and repeated by proper stewardship communication.

Synergistic Roles on Behalf of OSU to the Broader Community

Crisis Response. At the onset of the pandemic, I and many laboratory researchers at OSU recognized a dearth of diagnostic testing capabilities within the state of Oklahoma. After inventorying OSU's expertise, equipment, and access to diagnostic assay supplies, I ascertained that we had capacity to expand animal diagnostic testing within our College of Veterinary Medicine to conduct SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing if appropriate regulatory controls could be put in place (CLIA certification, HIPAA compliance, etc.). So, I brought the leadership of the OSU Center for Health Sciences, our medical campus in Tulsa, into the collaboration to provide human medicine credentials and HIPAA compliance experience into the collaboration. In less than two weeks from the date of initiating the collaboration, we stood up a campus-based CLIA-certified SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic laboratory at OSU that immediately doubled Oklahoma's diagnostic testing capabilities. Eventually spinning it out into a stand-alone human laboratory to allow our animal diagnostic facility to resume normal operation, we operated the ad hoc COVID-specific laboratory until private sector testing and hospital-based testing within Oklahoma could build adequate capacity. This achievement led to the Governor of Oklahoma moving the state’s Public Health Laboratory to Stillwater and asking OSU to oversee its management, which we did for several months via a not-for-profit company within the OSU Research Foundation.

State Engagement. As one of only three VPs of comprehensive research universities statewide, my service on the Oklahoma EPSCoR Advisory Committee constitutes a high-priority role. Given that the NSF EPSCoR program is based at OSU, my commitment to this state priority is particularly critical. Coordinating across all of the research universities, regional institutions, and technical schools to create a seamless state-level approach to the EPSCoR programs is fundamental to the on-going success of Oklahoma's EPSCoR infrastructure. I also serve as a gubernatorial appointee on the Oklahoma State Research and Development (OSTRAD) Board, which operates the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST), and liaise with various cabinet secretaries, with the office of the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education, and with the legislative liaison staff of the Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents regarding matters of statewide import.

National Engagement. I maintain involvement with a number of national organizations and groups that allow me to have a finger on the pulse of public higher education and of research excellence nationally. A particularly important group in which I am active is the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Within APLU, I maintain involvement with the Council on Research (COR), and serve on their Executive Committee. I am a member of the EPSCoR Coalition Board. I maintain active communications with Oklahoma's federal delegation, and with the lobbyists who represents OSU in Washington DC.

Signature Accomplishments at OSU

In my decade-plus at OSU, I consider my primary accomplishments to be in raising the profile of OSU as a top-tier research institution by:
• Doubling NSF-reported research expenditures since FY2015, with a corresponding Carnegie classification elevation to R1 in 2018 where we solidly remain.
• Establishing a set of high-profile, community-engaged research areas under the Tier 1 Research Initiatives program, a program aligned with APLU's Public Impact Research (PIR) efforts.
• Overseeing OSU’s interdisciplinary research institutes.
• Enfranchising the breadth of research and scholarly disciplines into the research ethos of the university, in part by establishing an internal grant program for humanities, arts, and design-based disciplines.
• Creating greater community and alumni awareness of the important contributions to society being made by OSU's research enterprise through enhanced publications, outreach events, televised interviews, podcasts, speaking engagements, etc.
• Improving the national presence of OSU through engagement and leadership within key organizations such as APLU's Council on Research and the EPSCoR Coalition
• Expanding key areas of research impact through state and federal appropriation processes (earmarks/plus-ups, community project funding), key funding streams through which we have ramped aerospace, semiconductor, 6G, biomedical, and STEM education research efforts
• Rapidly standing up a campus-based CLIA-certified SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic laboratory at OSU that played a key role (described more fully above) in Oklahoma's overall pandemic response.
• Facilitating the Governor of Oklahoma's decision to move the state's Public Health Laboratory to Stillwater, and--for its initial phase of operation (through January 2023)—overseeing management of the lab via a not-for-profit company within the OSU Research Foundation.
• Hiring highly effective leaders within the division who can multiply any accomplishments that may be attributed to me; in many ways, I view this as the most lasting impact I could ever have on the institution.

Signature Roles/Accomplishments at Prior Institutions

In my roles as Vice President for Research and Economic Development and as Executive Director of the Graduate School at the University of New Orleans, and as Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University of North Texas, I had roles similar to my current one at OSU. However those responsibilities differed somewhat, and the primary accomplishments were likewise varied. Full descriptions of those roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments are available upon request.

Lance Walker currently serves as Rick and Gail Muncrief Executive Director of the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute (HPNRI) at Oklahoma State University. 

Internationally recognized expert in fusing human performance, sport science, and sports medicine for athletes of all ages, ability levels, and sport disciplines.

Former Executive Vice President and Global Performance Director of Michael Johnson Performance, Dallas USA. 

Over 30 years experience in both private business of sports performance and working in organizations within the NFL, NCAA, and High School levels. Published exercise science researcher, former university human performance lab coordinator, and NIKE Performance Council Member. 

Performance coach, licensed physical therapist, adjunct professor and clinical instructor with nearly three decades of sports performance training and sports medicine experience spanning over 50 professional, elite, collegiate, high school, and youth sports and thousands of current and past athletes supported, including First Round NFL/NBA/CHL/MLB draft choices, Olympic and Paralympic Gold medalists,  World Champions, World Record Holders, Super Bowl MVPs, Champions League Stars, and NFL Hall of Famers.